We love making Pupusas from home with a simple bean and cheese filling and served with curtido and salsa roja.
One of our favorite ways to “travel” as a family is cooking International Inspired recipes for dinner at home, like Chicken Shawarma Bowls, Gallo Pinto, or this Bánh Mì Sandwich.
Pupusas are King of Salvadoran street food
Pupusas are King of Salvadoran street foodI always ask my kids to help me in the kitchen but when Pupusas are on the menu, they all volunteer! I can’t say this recipe is 100% authentic but it’s one of those fun, hands-on foods that provide an opportunity to teach them about other cultures, through food. And you absolutely have to make curtido and salsa roja to serve with pupusas!
How to make Pupusas:
Make Dough: Add masa harina (corn flour) and salt to a large mixing bowl then add the warm water, little by little, while mixing the dough with your hand until you get the consistency of a soft play dough. Add butter and chicken bouillon if you’d like, for extra flavor. Scoop dough into golf-ball-size portions, dipping your hands in an oil and water mixture as needed if the masa is sticking to your hands.
Assemble: Pat the dough into a pancake in your hand, about 4 inches in diameter. Add a Tablespoon of refried beans in the center and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. Fold the edges up and pinch to close into a ball. Gently pat/slap the dough back and forth between your palms to form it back into a thin pancake.
Cook and Serve: Place pupusas on a hot, dry griddle or skillet and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, until golden. Serve immediately, topped with curtido and salsa roja.
Storage and Freezing Instructions:
Store leftover masa dough can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight bag or container for 1-2 days. Add a little more warm water to it, as needed, to make it soft before using. Store leftover cooked pupusas in an airtight container in the fridge, and reheat on a hot griddle or skillet.
To Freeze uncooked pupusas, “flash freeze” them on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, then store in an air-tight container, separated by parchment, for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before cooking and serving.
Recipe Variations:
- Filling: Feel free to try different filling combinations. It is popular to include beans, meat, and cheese.
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Recipe
Pupusas
Equipment
- Griddle optional
Ingredients
Pupusas:
- 4 cups masa harina
- 3 ½ – 4 cups warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons softened butter , optional
- 1 teaspoon Better then Bouillon Chicken Base , or 1 bouillon cube
Filling:
- 15 oz can refried beans , or homemade
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese , or Oaxaca cheese
Topping:
- 1 recipe salsa roja
- 1 recipe curtido
Instructions
- Make Dough: Add masa harina (corn flour) and salt to a large mixing bowl then add the warm water, little by little, while mixing the dough with your hand until you get the consistency of a soft play dough. Stir in butter and chicken bouillon.
- Scoop dough into golf-ball-size portions, dipping your hands in an oil and water mixture as needed if the masa is sticking to your hands. Keep dough balls covered with a damp cloth as you work, to keep from drying out.
- Form Pupusas: Pat the dough into a pancake in your hand, about 4 inches in diameter. Add a Tablespoon of refried beans in the center and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. Fold the edges up and pinch to close into a ball. Gently pat the dough back and forth between your palms to form it back into a thin pancake.
- Cook: Heat a large un-greased skillet or pan over medium heat. Place pupusas on the hot pan and cook for about 2-4 minutes on each side. You will know the pupusas are ready to flip when the edges are set and the bottom is lightly golden.
- Serve immediately, topped with Curtido and Salsa Roja.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe May 2019. Updated August 2022 and May 2024.
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Hello Lauren, I follow you in social media and I love your recipes.
I’m from el Salvador and I cook pupusas for my family and friends all the time. Unfortunately this recipe is not accurate at all to the right way to cook it.
This is a really delicious and the most popular dish from El Salvador. You need it do it right 😊
Hi Erika, I’m not an expert by any means as I’m not from el Salvador. I’d welcome any tips you have to make the recipe better.
I’m Salvadorian and grew up eating these and love to make them from scratch. I was so surprised to see them on your website because most people I know don’t know about them. The recipe looks good, but the dry look very dry. I would recommend adding a little more water teaspoon by teaspoon until the dough is smooth and doesn’t crack. Also if it’s cracking, drying out, or sticking to the pan, then the pan is probably not hot enough. One thing that scared my German husband was seeing the “burn marks” on the pupusas while they were cooking on the hot pan, haha. But authentic pupusas get a little toasty on the outside and some of the cheese oozes out and get toasted on the outside of the dough for extra flavor!
Thanks Laura for sharing this recipe!
Worst pupusa recipe ever, pupusas flour does not have butter of flavoring in the dough and are made with chicharon and/or salvadorian beans or cheese.
Never had these but sounded good, so I cut the recipe into 1/4 and tried. Pretty tasty, but no idea what it’s supposed to taste like, lol. Will try them w my granddaughter next. Ty
Gave these a try tonight. I made your empanada recipe a few weeks ago, better than the ones in Argentina and as good as Uruguay. I’ve had your Curdito in my fridge since then, constantly snacking on it! So today, these. While it’s been awhile since I felt soft play-doh, I got the masa dough down. Filled with carnitas and cheese..and they brought back memories of a little place we had them at in Belize. Thank you for your recipes! I’ll be trying more!
While this recipe worked fine, I found it nearly impossible to use because of all the ads that kept popping up on the mobile site! I couldn’t even close out of your prompt to sign up for emails because it kept redirecting me to buy some vodka. Once I finally got the recipe it worked okay, my only change was I oiled the skillet because the first two were sticking to it.
I’ve been eating Pupusas for 29 years, but this was my first attempt at making them at home. I was intimidated by them until I read your recipe. It worked perfectly as written. Next time I plan to make the cabbage and salsa sides for the full experience, and a stewed chicken filling instead of beans (although beans were yummy and budget friendly!).
Te felicito, lo haces muy bien, yo soy salvadoreña y amo las pupusas, te doy un consejo, no pongas condimento y mantequilla en la harina, ponlo en los frijoles o chicharrón si quieres, pon las pupuas en tu sarten pero antes rocía un poco de aceite no mucho par qjw no se peguen, y también ponle un poco más de agua a la masa para que te queden más suaves.
Years ago, I had a wonderful neighbor who heralded from El Salvador. I visited her in her kitchen often and my most vivid memory is of watching her make these. The way she rounded out the dough, stuffed, then rounded and flattened was mesmerizing and she made it look so easy. Soon after, I gave it a whirl- and I don’t know if it was because I will still such a novice in the kitchen, or because she had been making them for so long, but mine were rather sad looking.
That was about a decade ago, and I have never attempted them since, but now I think I will. Thanks for the recipe!